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Performing Arts

Friday

Gilligan's Island At 50: A Goofy Show From A Time Of TV Innocence

The cast of Gilligan's Island (clockwise from top left): Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Alan Hale Jr., Dawn Wells, Bob Denver, Russell Johnson CBS/Landov hide caption

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CBS/Landov

Opinion

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Gilligan's Island At 50: A Goofy Show From A Time Of TV Innocence

As classic sitcom Gilligan's Island celebrates its 50th birthday, NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says it is an example of a show much loved by fans despite widely acknowledged mediocrity.

Tuesday

How Not To Handle A New Voice In TV

Shonda Rhimes (left) with Scandal star Kerry Washington at a 2012 press conference. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images hide caption

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Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Analysis

Code Switch

How Not To Handle A New Voice In TV

The firestorm kicked off by a New York Times analysis of TV's most successful black female showrunner mostly highlights how some struggle to handle new voices taking over the cultural conversation.

How Not To Handle A New Voice In TV

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Monday

Sunday

Adding Color To 'The Great White Way'

Sharp observations about race, class and gender plus pure passion for the theater: That's what get when you ask a distinguished panel of playwrights whether "The Great White Way" is still too white. Getty Images hide caption

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Getty Images

Code Switch

Adding Color To 'The Great White Way'

NPR's Michel Martin asks a panel of award-winning playwrights how diverse artists are challenging Broadway's landscape, and whether it matters.

Adding Color To 'The Great White Way'

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Friday

Examining Bill Cosby's Legacy As 'The Cosby Show' Turns 30

The Cosby Show starred Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad as Cliff and Clair Huxtable, an upper-middle-class couple in New York. Tempestt Bledsoe, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Lisa Bonet and Keshia Knight Pulliam played four of their five children. Frank Carroll/AP hide caption

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Frank Carroll/AP

Analysis

Code Switch

Examining Bill Cosby's Legacy As 'The Cosby Show' Turns 30

On the anniversary of the iconic series, NPR's Eric Deggans talks with the author of a new Bill Cosby biography about how the show and the comedian have shaped perceptions of black families.

Examining Bill Cosby's Legacy As 'The Cosby Show' Turns 30

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Saturday

Why Michael Che's New Role Could Change More Than 'SNL'

Daily Show correspondent Michael Che will become the first black co-anchor of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. Paul Marotta/Courtesy of Michael Che hide caption

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Paul Marotta/Courtesy of Michael Che

Analysis

Code Switch

Why Michael Che's New Role Could Change More Than 'SNL'

The Daily Show correspondent will become the first black co-anchor of Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update." NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says his hire could help diversify comedy well beyond NBC.

Tuesday

Misty Copeland On Broadening 'Beauty' And Being Black In Ballet

Code Switch

Misty Copeland On Broadening 'Beauty' And Being Black In Ballet

In her new children's book, Firebird, Copeland seeks to inspire other young African-American dancers. "It's hard to be the one that stands out," she says.

Misty Copeland On Broadening 'Beauty' And Being Black In Ballet

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Thursday

Joan Rivers, An Enduring Comic Who Turned Tragedy Into Showbiz Success, Dies

Comic Joan Rivers in a portrait taken at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2010. Larry Busacca/Getty Images hide caption

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Larry Busacca/Getty Images

Analysis

Culture

Joan Rivers, An Enduring Comic Who Turned Tragedy Into Showbiz Success, Dies

NPR's Eric Deggans says the comedian was a show business survivor whose tireless work ethic kept her relevant long after other comics would have faded away. She died Thursday at 81.

Joan Rivers, An Enduring Comic Who Turned Tragedy Into Showbiz Success, Dies

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Saturday

Syrian Artists Denied Visas, And A Voice In The U.S.

Syria: The Trojan Women inserts current events into an ancient Greek tragedy, performed here in Amman, Jordan, in 2013. Lynn Alleva Lilley/Lynn Alleva Lilley hide caption

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Lynn Alleva Lilley/Lynn Alleva Lilley

Opinion

Simon Says

Syrian Artists Denied Visas, And A Voice In The U.S.

U.S. performances of Syria: The Trojan Women are postponed, but NPR's Scott Simon says when art stops at the border, American audiences are the ones who miss out.

Syrian Artists Denied Visas, And A Voice In The U.S.

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Tuesday

From Walter White To LBJ, Bryan Cranston Is A Master Of Transformation

Fresh Air

While fans were watching him portray Walt in Breaking Bad's final episodes, Cranston was already reinventing himself — playing Lyndon B. Johnson in the play All the Way. Originally broadcast March 27.

From Walter White To LBJ, Bryan Cranston Is A Master Of Transformation

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Friday

TV's New Doctor Who Has An Old Connection To The Series

Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman star as The Doctor and Clara Oswald on the BBC science fiction drama Doctor Who. Ray Burmiston/Ali/BBC America hide caption

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Ray Burmiston/Ali/BBC America

Pop Culture Happy Hour

TV's New Doctor Who Has An Old Connection To The Series

The BBC will soon air its first Doctor Who episode with Peter Capaldi as the show's hero, The Doctor. Capaldi says the 50-year-old series inspired him to become an actor.

TV's New Doctor Who Has An Old Connection To The Series

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Tuesday

Wednesday

Monday

Magician Kenrick 'ICE' McDonald Sees The Light In The 'Dark Arts'

Kenrick "ICE" McDonald is an award-winning magician. He's also a Christian, and says reconciling his profession with his faith wasn't always easy. Courtesy of Kenrick "ICE" McDonald hide caption

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Courtesy of Kenrick "ICE" McDonald

Culture

Magician Kenrick 'ICE' McDonald Sees The Light In The 'Dark Arts'

As the son of a preacher, McDonald often had to practice his magic tricks in secret while he was growing up. Now he's the first black president of the Society of American Magicians.

Magician Kenrick 'ICE' McDonald Sees The Light In The 'Dark Arts'

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